PFA Players' Player of the Year Shortlist Revealed for 2021/22 Season

Strategic Insights -

Liverpool and Manchester City dominate the shortlist, with six players vying for the prestigious award. Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijk represent Liverpool, while Kevin De Bruyne and Cristiano Ronaldo represent Manchester City. The list also includes Tottenham striker Harry Kane. The awards ceremony is set to take place on June 9.

Key Takeaways:

  • Three Liverpool players, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijk, make up half of the six-man shortlist.
  • Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne is aiming for a historic third consecutive PFA Players' Player of the Year award.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted 24 goals for Manchester United, is on the shortlist after his first season back at Old Trafford.
  • Harry Kane, the England captain, is also included on the list despite a joint-lowest goal return of 17 Premier League goals across eight full campaigns.
  • This season's FA Cup and EFL Cup winners, Liverpool, saw their campaign end on a disappointing note with a Champions League final loss against Real Madrid.
  • Manchester City secured their fourth Premier League title in five years, with Kevin De Bruyne their standout player.

Statistics:

  • 3/6 of the shortlisted players represent Liverpool.
  • 2/6 of the shortlisted players are from Manchester City.
  • The 30-year-old Kevin De Bruyne is aiming to become the first player to win the award for three successive seasons.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo is aiming to win the award for the first time since 2010, when Wayne Rooney last won it.
  • Manchester United's 11 PFA Players' Player of the Year awards are the most of any club.

Sources:

  • The Professional Footballers Association
  • Manchester United
  • Manchester City
  • Liverpool AFC
  • Tottenham Hotspur
  • BBC News
  • Sky Sports
  • Reuters